#5. Super Mario Bros. 2

You can pick things up and throw them! And dig things out of the ground and throw them! Also, this takes the Mario Bros. franchise into some much trippier places. There are magic potions that take you into crazy sub-spaces and also the POW block is back to shake up the entire screen!

Let’s not forget that you can play as Mario, Luigi, Princess or Toad and they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Mario is obviously the most solid, but Luigi can jump the highest, Toad is strong like bull so he can pick shit up fast and Princess can jump the farthest.

This game did so much for the franchise that one could argue if this wasn’t a success, it could have tanked it.

So yeah, this is in the top 5.

#4. Super Mario Bros. 3

Takes everything great about the first two Super games and adds a cool map where you can pick and choose where you go. This is the first time one of those maps were part of the Mario gameplay and was basically included in every game in the franchise since. More freedom means more fun ya’ll!

Also, raccoon suits. Need I say more?

#3. Tecmo Bowl

The first football game to actually feature real player’s names. Also, you can run plays and different teams had different strengths.

There were a lot of first for this one, but I just love football so this one is getting played A LOT.

#2. StarTropics

Wait… what the fuck is StarTropics?!?

I LOVE The Legend of Zelda and StarTropics is basically a version of that. A lot of people have never even heard about it before, so that’s why I think it deserves some notice.

Also, and this probably won’t come with the game, but the original packaging contained a physical letter that set up the story. However, during the gameplay, the game asks players to dip the letter in water to reveal a code. It was the only way to go forward, and it was AWESOME.

If this mini NES contains that letter, I’m going to go crazy!

#1. The Legend of Zelda

I don’t have to explain myself with this one. It’s just awesome.

But to explain why this before the Super Mario Bros. games? I find the gameplay to be much more challenging, and this was one of the first games to really make me flex my brain.

Also, the fact that you could actually store your games in the cartridge was a game changer. Not having to start over from scratch every single time made this one highly playable.

What are your top 5? Or top 10? Or, hell, give me your top 30!

Let me know in the comments below!